UltimatePup Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 (edited) My dog has ultra fine, soft, slightly curly fur behind and under her ears that is very prone to tangling, to the point of matting. I do brush and comb her regularly but have just realised I've been missing a bit. There are soft, dense matts under each ear. We have tried gently working in from the edges but no luck; we are going to have to cut the matts out . Do you have any tips for minimising this type of tangling, other than the obvious combing every two days? e.g. Do human de-tanglers work on dog fur? Edited June 4, 2011 by UltimatePup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MalteseLuna Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Based upon my experience the only thing that will stop this is regular brushing behind the ears (being sure not to miss any spots). Also using a good quality de-tangler might help. I have used human and dog ones - they are very similar. If there are matts that I really don't want to cut out I cut into them (cut them into thirds etc.) to break them up and find that its much easier to work them out this way. What breed is your dog? Might help people provide useful answers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 This is the area where most dogs get matts if they are going to. If they are left to get bad it is too painful to comb them out, its a really sensitive spot. Daily check there is a must. The alternative is to shave a little patch out there. It doesn't really show much on a pet dog & is easier. De tangle/conditioners etc won't stop this. If it is a big matt take your scissors through the knot near the skin & cut a line outward to the end of the hair. That's how you cut into them as posted. Do this in a couple of places being very careful to keep the scissor point pointing away from the skin & then use the slicker brush & it should come out. No easy answer to this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dog geek Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Hi Ultimate Pup! First off - do you have a slicker brush? They are very useful for those areas that need a different approach to the majority of the coat. To preserve as much of the fur there as possible, use a pair of scissors to cut VERTICALLY into the matt; using a slicker if possible, tease from the ends of the matt gradually, working your way in towards the roots. You might need to make more than one vertical cut into the matt. A good trick that seems to work well for the impossibly fine fur behind my cat's ears is to pour a teaspoon of cornflour into the area behind the ear - AFTER you have removed the matt. Then, carefully (ie without rubbing more knots into the fur) work the cornflour into the area; next using the comb or preferably the slicker brush, comb the fur - again from the ends of the hair first, moving to the roots. Also - what shampoo and/or conditioner are you using? What breed/s is your pup? Can we see him in a picture? ;) Lastly - you also need to check the "armpit" area - both front armpits and back armpits - for matting, as this is another area where the friction of normal movement will cause small matts. DON'T try to comb these ones out - carefully decide the point where the matt is closest to the skin and use a small pair of scissors to cut the matt off: the skin there is too sensitive for you to work on combing those matts out, it is not fair to your dog and you will set a negative response to you 'maintenance' combing it regularly. Let us know how you go, or if you have any other questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavNrott Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 I have 2 Cavaliers and one of them matts up behind the ears if I'm not vigilant. I use a comb with rotating teeth. It's more gentle on the dogs if you come across a small matt. I also use a product called Cowboy Magic Detangler and Shine. I use this as a preventative and it works a charm. After I bath the dogs I work the Cowboy Magic into the ears, under them and behind them, plus any other area that tends to matt such as the feathers on the hind legs and thoroughly brush the product into the hair. They rarely have any matts since I've been using this product. I only brush and comb every 3-4 days instead of daily. With the Cowboy Magic if you massage it into a matt and brush it, you can untangle it usually without the need to cut it out. if it doesn't untangle easily, out come the scissors. They have so much hair that I can't see where the matt was anyway after it's been cut out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W Sibs Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 I got a CKCS x Shih Tzu. I comb his ears every second day. If I leave it longer, it will get tangled and knotted. I just use the CC comb and Aloveen conditioner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boronia Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Penny is the only dog I have had that gets matts on her elbows. I thought I kept them all pretty tangle free (especially their armpits) but I found little matts on her elbows Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UltimatePup Posted June 3, 2011 Author Share Posted June 3, 2011 This has been really useful, thanks. Here are those ears... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlc Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Cavnrott, can I ask you where you get your cowboy magic. I have to get it ordered by my local horseland. It is also ridiculously expensive. I only use it on matts that I don't want to cut. Mostly now my guys stay reasonably short so I don't have a lot of need for it but I keep ears and tails long. Ultimate pup, what sort of dog is it? Is it possible to clip short under ears to combat he matting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlc Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 We posted at the same time, how old is she? Her fur looks fluffy and soft around and under her ears, does she have her adult coat yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavNrott Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Cavnrott, can I ask you where you get your cowboy magic. I have to get it ordered by my local horseland. It is also ridiculously expensive. I only use it on matts that I don't want to cut. Mostly now my guys stay reasonably short so I don't have a lot of need for it but I keep ears and tails long. Ultimate pup, what sort of dog is it? Is it possible to clip short under ears to combat he matting? tlc Sorry,I can't remember where I got the Cowboy Magic. I bought the large bottle years ago and also bought their Silver Highlight shampoo for a bright white contrast on my Tri Cav. I think I had it sent over from USA way back then. It's still great after all these years. I remember it was expensive. It's well worth the cost because you need to use such a tiny amount of it. One bottle will last you for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlc Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Yes for sure, the tube I got I am still using occasioanlly (don't have a huge need for it now) but it is nearly all gone. I have had it for 4 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UltimatePup Posted June 3, 2011 Author Share Posted June 3, 2011 She's 8 months old, mostly Golden Retriever. The curls come from elsewhere! She has just started shedding a bit, so maybe it's a coat change coming in? She's a very soft cuddly girl. Re $$$, the ingredients for Cowboy Magic are the same as in some slick silicon-based hair conditioners. I found something in my cupboard very similar so am trying that. She smells lovely . I did end up cutting the worst matt out. The vertical cuts were not enough and she was fed up of us fiddling with her ears. I will also try a slicker brush as a preventative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dee lee Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Ha, I was going to guess Golden Retriever from your first post. :D My goldie has that problem, its the only place she gets matting. Often I cant even see it but will be quietly patting her and find a snag. I have dealt with it with vertical cutting, but perhaps you can regularly give her a little haircut around that area? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espinay2 Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 A tip when cutting mats. Never cut downwards towards the skin or across. Too many times you can accidentally cut the skin. I have seen plenty of dogs end up requiring stitches this way. Instead put one blade of your scissor through the mat close to the skin and cut UPWARDS away from the skin and through the mat. Do this in several spots in the mat to divide it up into smaller mats/dreadlocks then spray with your grooming spray and use a metal comb to gently comb out the mats. Most of the hair should comb out reasonably easily once the mat has been cut. If not, put a few more cuts through it. To prevent, along with regular grooming, you can dust a little cornflour or baby powder through the area so the hair is not so 'soft'. As suggested, shaving the area on a pet dog can work too, but if you let it grow out, be sure to comb regularly! the growing hair will tangle fairly easily and you will be back to square one. I find that ear tangles tend to be worse before and around the first coat change so this is a time to be particularly vigilant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UltimatePup Posted June 4, 2011 Author Share Posted June 4, 2011 Thanks, that's really helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gayle. Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Keep the hair trimmed short with thinning scissors. My lot all get this, but if I give them a "haircut" every month or so, it keeps the mats away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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